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Epic of the Kaurava Clan #1-2
Ajaya: Duryodhana's Mahabharata - Collector's Edition
About the Book : Roll of Dice and Rise of Kali of the Ajaya series now together in this special collector's edition
THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. Every Indian has grown up conditioned to the view that the Pandavas were virtuous and wronged; and the Kauravas were manipulative and evil. On a visit to Malanada Temple, Kerala, national bestselling author of ASURA, Anand Neelakantan, discovered the temple deity to be none other than Duryodhanan, the ostensible 'villain' of the Mahabharata. This astonishing discovery prompted him to delve deep into the narrative of the defeated Crown Prince of Hastinapura, and the Kaurava clan. Ajaya challenges established views and compels us to think again. The book is all about the power of perception. It retells with compelling credibility, the epic events from Duryodhan's (given name: Suryodhana), point of view. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the 'unconquerable' Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of India's most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen – Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny – or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India.
About the Author : Anand Neelakantan says: Ajaya is an attempt to revisit our mythologies with a modern view and see what the same events look like when observed from the side of the defeated. Were these people branded villains because they were far ahead of their times? There are many books about the Pandavas, about Karna, Draupadi, Kuniti and the other dramatis personae of the Mahabharata. But who speaks for Duryodhana? Growing up in a Kerala village with more temples than necessary, it was small wonder that mythology fascinated Anand early on. Ironically, he was drawn to the anti-heroes. But life called and he went on to become an engineer; joined the Indian Oil Corporation; moved to Bangalore; married Aparna; and welcomed a daughter and a son. But the voices of yore refused to be silenced in his head and he felt impelled to narrate the stories of the vanquished and the dammed; to give life to those silent heroes we have long overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of the conventional renderings of our epics. Ajaya follows the outstanding success of his #1 bestseller, Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished.
THE MAHABHARATA ENDURES AS THE GREAT EPIC OF INDIA. Every Indian has grown up conditioned to the view that the Pandavas were virtuous and wronged; and the Kauravas were manipulative and evil. On a visit to Malanada Temple, Kerala, national bestselling author of ASURA, Anand Neelakantan, discovered the temple deity to be none other than Duryodhanan, the ostensible 'villain' of the Mahabharata. This astonishing discovery prompted him to delve deep into the narrative of the defeated Crown Prince of Hastinapura, and the Kaurava clan. Ajaya challenges established views and compels us to think again. The book is all about the power of perception. It retells with compelling credibility, the epic events from Duryodhan's (given name: Suryodhana), point of view. While Jaya is the story of the Pandavas, told from the perspective of the victors of Kurukshetra; Ajaya is the narrative of the 'unconquerable' Kauravas, who were decimated to the last man. At the heart of India's most powerful empire, a revolution is brewing. Bhishma, the noble patriarch of Hastinapura, is struggling to maintain the unity of his empire. On the throne sits Dhritarashtra, the blind King, and his foreign-born Queen – Gandhari. In the shadow of the throne stands Kunti, the Dowager-Queen, burning with ambition to see her firstborn become the ruler, acknowledged by all. Amidst the chaos, Prince Suyodhana, heir of Hastinapura, stands tall, determined to claim his birthright and act according to his conscience. He is the maker of his own destiny – or so he believes. While in the corridors of the Hastinapura palace, a foreign Prince plots to destroy India.
About the Author : Anand Neelakantan says: Ajaya is an attempt to revisit our mythologies with a modern view and see what the same events look like when observed from the side of the defeated. Were these people branded villains because they were far ahead of their times? There are many books about the Pandavas, about Karna, Draupadi, Kuniti and the other dramatis personae of the Mahabharata. But who speaks for Duryodhana? Growing up in a Kerala village with more temples than necessary, it was small wonder that mythology fascinated Anand early on. Ironically, he was drawn to the anti-heroes. But life called and he went on to become an engineer; joined the Indian Oil Corporation; moved to Bangalore; married Aparna; and welcomed a daughter and a son. But the voices of yore refused to be silenced in his head and he felt impelled to narrate the stories of the vanquished and the dammed; to give life to those silent heroes we have long overlooked in our uncritical acceptance of the conventional renderings of our epics. Ajaya follows the outstanding success of his #1 bestseller, Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished.
- GenresMythology
636 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2018
155 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Anand Neelakantan
30 books1,752 followersAnand Neelakantan is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and public speaker. He is known for writing mythological fictions and has authored ten books in English and one in Malayalam. He follows the style of telling stories based on the perspective of the antagonists or supporting characters of a larger work. His debut work Asura: Tale of the Vanquished (2012) was based on the Indian epic Ramayana, told from the perspective of Ravana—the first book in his Ramayana series. It was followed by series of books based on characters from Mahabharata and Baahubali. His books have been translated to different languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali , Gujarati, Assamese, English and Indonesian Bahasa.
Anand's Asura is one of the 100 books to be read in a life time as per Amazon.[1] The book has sold more than half a million copies across the years. Three of his books have been shortlisted for Crossword Book Award during the respective years. He was listed as one among the "100 top celebrities in India" in 2015 and 2017 by Forbes India. Anand also writes a column for The New Indian Express on current affairs and his fortnightly column is called "Acute Angle".
Anand's Asura is one of the 100 books to be read in a life time as per Amazon.[1] The book has sold more than half a million copies across the years. Three of his books have been shortlisted for Crossword Book Award during the respective years. He was listed as one among the "100 top celebrities in India" in 2015 and 2017 by Forbes India. Anand also writes a column for The New Indian Express on current affairs and his fortnightly column is called "Acute Angle".
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 reviews
February 17, 2021
I've always wondered what compelled the villain to act like the way he did. I've always been an sanguine thinker and I really wanted to read a book from the perspective of a person who is considered as a villain for majority. And this book gave me the privilege to do that.
I started reading this book a long time ago I guess around October and was never able to finish it so it was in jan that I finished this book in one sitting at night because this book held me till the very last.
A majority of people believe that Pandavas have always been the epitome of dharma, virteousnes, generosity and the Kauravas have always been the manipulative and evil ones. But surprisingly in South, people worship Suyodhana (later Duryodhana). Suryodhana was not entirely wrong on his part and this book emphasises those good deeds that Suyodhana did all his life. Shaming of Draupadi has always been his regret but every person should get a chance to amend his mistakes and Suyodhana was ready to do that. The qualities of friendship, leadership and kindness were the best thing Suyodhana had. He never understood the caste systems and lived his life as he wanted unlike the Pandavas who were bounded by restrictions of dharma and caste. At the end a lot many questions has been jotted down by the author and those are incredible!
The author has left great ideas to ponder upon which will confuse the readers and will compel them to rethink about dharma.
I've not read Mahabharata entirely so that was an added point of this book because it gave me exposure to things that I did not know.
Strongly recommended for mythology lovers. I really loved this book
I started reading this book a long time ago I guess around October and was never able to finish it so it was in jan that I finished this book in one sitting at night because this book held me till the very last.
A majority of people believe that Pandavas have always been the epitome of dharma, virteousnes, generosity and the Kauravas have always been the manipulative and evil ones. But surprisingly in South, people worship Suyodhana (later Duryodhana). Suryodhana was not entirely wrong on his part and this book emphasises those good deeds that Suyodhana did all his life. Shaming of Draupadi has always been his regret but every person should get a chance to amend his mistakes and Suyodhana was ready to do that. The qualities of friendship, leadership and kindness were the best thing Suyodhana had. He never understood the caste systems and lived his life as he wanted unlike the Pandavas who were bounded by restrictions of dharma and caste. At the end a lot many questions has been jotted down by the author and those are incredible!
The author has left great ideas to ponder upon which will confuse the readers and will compel them to rethink about dharma.
I've not read Mahabharata entirely so that was an added point of this book because it gave me exposure to things that I did not know.
Strongly recommended for mythology lovers. I really loved this book
June 16, 2024
Disclaimer: Long review with lots of details though I've tried my best to make it spoiler free.
Before I begin anything, some hard facts that this book gets wrong must be pointed out:
1) The portrayal of Bharatavarsha: I don't know who needs to hear this but the concept of a nation did not exist during the vedic age. Nobody knew how far reaching the kindgom was and the concept of the entire country being one did not exist. We did not call ourselves Bharatvarsha the way it is shown in the book and this idea of "foreigners" did not exist. A lot of the story focuses on this context so it is a factual inaccuracy. For a man with depth of research on that time this is unexpected.
2) The focus on caste: Vedic India did not have such caste divisions and not everything was about caste. I understand them trying to bring in the caste factor but they made it look like Nazi Germany or something. Caste was occupational back in those days and even if I talk of the discrimination the book makes EVERYTHING about caste.
3) No sign of Keechak: weird, since this book puts forward the voices of the unheard.
Positives: 1) For the most part, I enjoyed the first half of this book (The Roll of the Dice) despite not agreeing with most of the perspective. I don't sympathize with Duryodhana in any way but am open to reading different perspectives and hence picked up this book. I loved the writing and it kept me hooked. For a story we all know more or less, that's a huge credit.
2) Jara's character is beautifully written. I like this addition to the story and how his story is connected to the plot.
3) Arjuna's portrayal: I like how the author did not vilify him but rather tried to give him a human portrayal. It's not what you would expect from a Kaurava POV book. Although I do have reservations about the second part and how some incidents were portrayed, as an ardent admirer of the character I did not mind his portrayal in the book.
4) While I don't agree with the point of the book, the ending is well written.
Negatives:
1) My biggest problem with this book is the second part (Rise of Kali). The author bent the events in the epic in such a way that it ALWAYS portrayed Kauravas as the better ones while vilifying certain characters, particularly Krishna, to an awful extent. I hated how he tried to portray Krishna as some sort of villain who murders people for fun. The portrayal is one dimensional and very very inaccurate as he changed hard facts in most places.
2) Unnecessary focus on Ashwathama and his whitewashing: I am not expecting the book to be Pandava focused but the way the author tries to portray Ashwathama as some saint is strange. I did not enjoy the constant victimization of these characters, the lack of balance and most importantly, changing of facts. At least in book 1, he did not twist facts to cater to the Kauravas but here he did.
3) Draupadi has once again been portrayed as an awful woman with no heart with some sort of pining for Karna. I am tired of authors romanticizing such crap under the guise of literature because no proper folktales or any reliable narration mentions this. Making Draupadi fall for an excuse of a man as Karna is awful and adds nothing to the plot. Also, again, twisting facts.
4) The chapters on the Geeta sound almost like an explanation for children. The thing that kept me going in the book was the compelling storytelling and that too was lost in those chapters. It sounded like plain narration in easy terms and not built into the story. Very shallow and without proper context.
5) For a book about Kauravas and Duryodhan, I did not understand why it did not have any build up or focus on his relationship with his brother Dushashan or his parents, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. There are no compelling scenes and Dushashana appeared so little in the book it's strange as he was the brother closest to him.
6) Constantly trying to prove Ekalavya a better warrior than Arjun when there was no such claim in the epic. The way he twisted the Keerataarjuneeyam episode is unbelievable and wasn't required in the story.
The book is not sure of the POV it wishes to put forward. At times, Duryodhana (who for some unknown reason is named Suyodhana- again an inaccuracy) comes across as a complete victim and devoid of any of his usual character traits. On the other hand, it seems like he believed what HE did was right and didn't care what others thought. Duryodhana is remembered for his ambition and lust for power. He did things because he believed he was true to HIS principles. He never considered himself a victim and was proud of wanting to get rid of those who came in his way. IMO, that was the beauty of his character. This book tries to prove Duryodhan was an innocent young boy who never wanted to hurt a living creature which is laughable and makes Duryodhan devoid of the charm of his character. I did enjoy reading some parts of this book but it is extremely forceful in it's approach and tries to make Duryodhan look like an absolute saint which he was not. Even the OG epic puts forward the Pandava's flaws. And don't even get me started on the Karna glorification. We're used to it by now but it is tiresome at one point.
2 stars at best.
Before I begin anything, some hard facts that this book gets wrong must be pointed out:
1) The portrayal of Bharatavarsha: I don't know who needs to hear this but the concept of a nation did not exist during the vedic age. Nobody knew how far reaching the kindgom was and the concept of the entire country being one did not exist. We did not call ourselves Bharatvarsha the way it is shown in the book and this idea of "foreigners" did not exist. A lot of the story focuses on this context so it is a factual inaccuracy. For a man with depth of research on that time this is unexpected.
2) The focus on caste: Vedic India did not have such caste divisions and not everything was about caste. I understand them trying to bring in the caste factor but they made it look like Nazi Germany or something. Caste was occupational back in those days and even if I talk of the discrimination the book makes EVERYTHING about caste.
3) No sign of Keechak: weird, since this book puts forward the voices of the unheard.
Positives: 1) For the most part, I enjoyed the first half of this book (The Roll of the Dice) despite not agreeing with most of the perspective. I don't sympathize with Duryodhana in any way but am open to reading different perspectives and hence picked up this book. I loved the writing and it kept me hooked. For a story we all know more or less, that's a huge credit.
2) Jara's character is beautifully written. I like this addition to the story and how his story is connected to the plot.
3) Arjuna's portrayal: I like how the author did not vilify him but rather tried to give him a human portrayal. It's not what you would expect from a Kaurava POV book. Although I do have reservations about the second part and how some incidents were portrayed, as an ardent admirer of the character I did not mind his portrayal in the book.
4) While I don't agree with the point of the book, the ending is well written.
Negatives:
1) My biggest problem with this book is the second part (Rise of Kali). The author bent the events in the epic in such a way that it ALWAYS portrayed Kauravas as the better ones while vilifying certain characters, particularly Krishna, to an awful extent. I hated how he tried to portray Krishna as some sort of villain who murders people for fun. The portrayal is one dimensional and very very inaccurate as he changed hard facts in most places.
2) Unnecessary focus on Ashwathama and his whitewashing: I am not expecting the book to be Pandava focused but the way the author tries to portray Ashwathama as some saint is strange. I did not enjoy the constant victimization of these characters, the lack of balance and most importantly, changing of facts. At least in book 1, he did not twist facts to cater to the Kauravas but here he did.
3) Draupadi has once again been portrayed as an awful woman with no heart with some sort of pining for Karna. I am tired of authors romanticizing such crap under the guise of literature because no proper folktales or any reliable narration mentions this. Making Draupadi fall for an excuse of a man as Karna is awful and adds nothing to the plot. Also, again, twisting facts.
4) The chapters on the Geeta sound almost like an explanation for children. The thing that kept me going in the book was the compelling storytelling and that too was lost in those chapters. It sounded like plain narration in easy terms and not built into the story. Very shallow and without proper context.
5) For a book about Kauravas and Duryodhan, I did not understand why it did not have any build up or focus on his relationship with his brother Dushashan or his parents, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. There are no compelling scenes and Dushashana appeared so little in the book it's strange as he was the brother closest to him.
6) Constantly trying to prove Ekalavya a better warrior than Arjun when there was no such claim in the epic. The way he twisted the Keerataarjuneeyam episode is unbelievable and wasn't required in the story.
The book is not sure of the POV it wishes to put forward. At times, Duryodhana (who for some unknown reason is named Suyodhana- again an inaccuracy) comes across as a complete victim and devoid of any of his usual character traits. On the other hand, it seems like he believed what HE did was right and didn't care what others thought. Duryodhana is remembered for his ambition and lust for power. He did things because he believed he was true to HIS principles. He never considered himself a victim and was proud of wanting to get rid of those who came in his way. IMO, that was the beauty of his character. This book tries to prove Duryodhan was an innocent young boy who never wanted to hurt a living creature which is laughable and makes Duryodhan devoid of the charm of his character. I did enjoy reading some parts of this book but it is extremely forceful in it's approach and tries to make Duryodhan look like an absolute saint which he was not. Even the OG epic puts forward the Pandava's flaws. And don't even get me started on the Karna glorification. We're used to it by now but it is tiresome at one point.
2 stars at best.
August 26, 2021
A riveting antagonist/loser's perspective on the Mahabharata. Anand's ability to humanize the characters is what forces you to delve deeper into the nagging questions/ethics at different stages of the epic. While Anand takes some creative liberties, his ability to build and articulate a context to create Dur(Su)yodhana's point of view on different incidents is intriguing. This book nudges you away from a binary narrative and forces you to ponder over the grey aspects (Dharma) of the epic. Recommended read on the ethical/moral questions of the saga.
August 28, 2021
A good read but violates the epic under the great of poetic andartistic license
I am all for poetic license. An author has a right to meander into his reason of reality, HOWEVER owes a duty toward the original text especially when it is an epic.
I am all for poetic license. An author has a right to meander into his reason of reality, HOWEVER owes a duty toward the original text especially when it is an epic.
August 23, 2020
It will change our view about Mahabharata. We will start thinking why only Draupadi got her revenge for her humiliation.
December 31, 2023
History is written by the victors – but what of the viewpoint of the vanquished? This is a brilliantly narrated interpretation of the epic Mahabharata by the Kaurav prince Suyodhan (disdainfully called Duryodhan by his arch-rivals – the illegitimately begotten Pandavs who changed the prefix सु to the derogative दुर्).
Unknown to most Hindus, there is a temple dedicated to Suyodhan in Kerala (where there is no presiding deity)
The author writes about the beauty of secular Hinduism
The characters have been shorn of divinity and there are no magical arms and flying chariots – just valorous, ambitious, treacherous, exploited and scheming individuals.
The author also dwells on the overreaching Brahminism and the North/South divide in India.
An extract from the book
Unknown to most Hindus, there is a temple dedicated to Suyodhan in Kerala (where there is no presiding deity)
The author writes about the beauty of secular Hinduism
This demonstrates how critical thinking is the basis of all our philosophy. We have no concept of blasphemy. This openness to criticism is what makes the Hindu religion and its traditions unique. Vyasa did not hide Krishna’s faults, nor did Valmiki remain silent on Rama’s shortcomings. This openness to debate and discussion had helped us evolve over time and withstand thousands of years of foreign rule, reforming as the times demanded. Otherwise, Hinduism would long have dead, like the ancient religions of Greece and Egypt.It is said that for every village there is a Ramayana and for every person there is Gita. Lord Krishna says
इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया |The book is essentially a vituperative indictment of the caste system. Take the examples of Eklavya and Karna – how they were unfairly denied all that was rightfully theirs – Eklavya an archer as good, if not better, as Arjuna and Karna, also, denied the chance to prove his prowess as an archer, the hand of Draupadi, and, being the first-born, the rightful heir to the kingdom.
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु || १८:६३
(I have given you the most confidential of all knowledge.
Analyze it critically and act as per your wish and understanding. The Bhagwadgita 18:63)
The characters have been shorn of divinity and there are no magical arms and flying chariots – just valorous, ambitious, treacherous, exploited and scheming individuals.
The author also dwells on the overreaching Brahminism and the North/South divide in India.
An extract from the book
Suyodhana was a good man and Eklavya was happy for him. But he knew such joy and real life rarely went together. No self-respecting God would allow a good man to be happy for long. God has relevance only in the unhappiness of good people.One of the best books of this year; now plan to read the author’s Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People.
January 8, 2025
It has ended. The author excels at portraying minor characters with just a few strokes, leaving any retelling feeling conclusive. My emotions are a complicated mix. The rebellious Brahmin Kripacharya and Aswatthama, the "jealous" wife, minister, and mother Bhanumati, and Duryodhana, whose arc evolves from purity to darkness before his eventual demise—all their stories are fully realized.
In the end, the five Pandava brothers and the dark princess Draupadi embark on their journey to the Himalayas for ascetic penance, passing away one by one. Balarama witnesses the fall of Dwaraka, consumed by flames and the sea. Meanwhile, Krishna, the demigod orchestrator of the Mahabharata war and the grand leela-tragedy, meets his end at the hands of Jara, a beggar hunter who had always worshipped him as a god. Stripped of divinity, the Ajaya narrative ultimately ties up its story in a way that, putting emotions aside, manages to stay consistent and self-contained.
In the end, the five Pandava brothers and the dark princess Draupadi embark on their journey to the Himalayas for ascetic penance, passing away one by one. Balarama witnesses the fall of Dwaraka, consumed by flames and the sea. Meanwhile, Krishna, the demigod orchestrator of the Mahabharata war and the grand leela-tragedy, meets his end at the hands of Jara, a beggar hunter who had always worshipped him as a god. Stripped of divinity, the Ajaya narrative ultimately ties up its story in a way that, putting emotions aside, manages to stay consistent and self-contained.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2020
Vendetta of a crooked mastermind (sakuni) opportuning every chances and manipulating each one's egos to fulfill his ultimate goal.
The novel depicts the epic in a more realistic form as to the gods, asuras, nagas, strict implementation of chathur varnas by each brahmin/ preist/upperclass (though self doubting) but, clarified by their own understanding of vedas, smrithies and scriptures, to fulfill their own wishes.
The role played by each and their egos, enslaving an unsuspecting populi, and enacted on the historic play ground extending a few decades of Bharata, until culmination of this life to the next ( a vicious/virtuous circle?)
It also discribes the futility of defining dharma/ adharma which is always cicumstancial to the times that is prevalent, other than the traditional rigidity mostly implemented.
The novel depicts the epic in a more realistic form as to the gods, asuras, nagas, strict implementation of chathur varnas by each brahmin/ preist/upperclass (though self doubting) but, clarified by their own understanding of vedas, smrithies and scriptures, to fulfill their own wishes.
The role played by each and their egos, enslaving an unsuspecting populi, and enacted on the historic play ground extending a few decades of Bharata, until culmination of this life to the next ( a vicious/virtuous circle?)
It also discribes the futility of defining dharma/ adharma which is always cicumstancial to the times that is prevalent, other than the traditional rigidity mostly implemented.
May 23, 2023
Every story has 2 sides while we tend to prefer binary narratives of victory of good over evil. Yet if you lift the veil and emphasise on the story of the 'villain' and their reasons for doing things, the same story can make you feel differently.
This has been a brilliant book to read, and of course the author has used his own emphasis and tricks in making Suyodhana or Duryodhana seem like the righteous party and make one doubt the Pandavas, Krishna and the fandom around them.
For the first time you question what social order the Pandavas were attempting to preserve with the war which one often never does too deeply, while we silently question things.
A brave book to write as well, reinterpreting mythological tales in such a way where people are already fans of one party is a risk in India. It's interesting even if turbulent to read opposing retellings of the same story.
This has been a brilliant book to read, and of course the author has used his own emphasis and tricks in making Suyodhana or Duryodhana seem like the righteous party and make one doubt the Pandavas, Krishna and the fandom around them.
For the first time you question what social order the Pandavas were attempting to preserve with the war which one often never does too deeply, while we silently question things.
A brave book to write as well, reinterpreting mythological tales in such a way where people are already fans of one party is a risk in India. It's interesting even if turbulent to read opposing retellings of the same story.
January 16, 2025
Read if you must,
Question if you must, for that is what we must seek.
Wisdom & knowledge does not simply drop to anyone.
A book that must be read!
I’ve got questions answered with perhaps more questions yet I’m happy to have acquire knowledge of this great man!
I’ve read quite a number of books on this Kurukshetra War and I’m always certain to be on which side if I’ve given a choice to choose.
It may be right for me, wrong for you.
It may be wrong for me, right for you.
At the end of the day - there’s only questions after questions and remember, walk away from people who can’t provide answers & forces you to be silence.
Question if you must, for that is what we must seek.
Wisdom & knowledge does not simply drop to anyone.
A book that must be read!
I’ve got questions answered with perhaps more questions yet I’m happy to have acquire knowledge of this great man!
I’ve read quite a number of books on this Kurukshetra War and I’m always certain to be on which side if I’ve given a choice to choose.
It may be right for me, wrong for you.
It may be wrong for me, right for you.
At the end of the day - there’s only questions after questions and remember, walk away from people who can’t provide answers & forces you to be silence.
Read
July 18, 2020A refreshing take
Amazing and beautifully written. Gives a deep perspective into other side of story and pushes you to think beyond the conventional story. Very thought provocative. A must read for everyone. One of the best reads I've come across
Amazing and beautifully written. Gives a deep perspective into other side of story and pushes you to think beyond the conventional story. Very thought provocative. A must read for everyone. One of the best reads I've come across
October 25, 2020
Amazing book! Very well written! Must read for those who want to read different perspectives...
July 3, 2022
Were the Pandavas all good? And the Kauravas all bad? Reading this book, the Mahabharat from Duryodhana's point of view was certainly interesting!
December 10, 2023
i believe it's actually the collection of the two books?
i added it so i can add the number of books read this year hehehehehehehehe
but seriously these books are truly interesting
i added it so i can add the number of books read this year hehehehehehehehe
but seriously these books are truly interesting
May 8, 2024
I loved this one ….it unveiled many mysteries of our great epic for me! A truly enjoyable read if mythology is your genre ❤️❤️❤️🫶🏻
July 20, 2024
Beautiful
A beautiful and soul touching retelling of this great epic. I just couldn't put down this novel. I was never bored and learnt so much from it.
A beautiful and soul touching retelling of this great epic. I just couldn't put down this novel. I was never bored and learnt so much from it.
December 27, 2022
Readers should read this book purely from a fictional aspect.
The writer definitely has a different story to tell as he has based this book entirely on caste system. I guess the author was looking for a different plot and he chose cste system. Krishna has been shown as someone who believes in caste system. then what abt krishna and sudamas story?
So though a good attempt to showcase a humane perspective of suyodhana... It's purely fictional.
The writer definitely has a different story to tell as he has based this book entirely on caste system. I guess the author was looking for a different plot and he chose cste system. Krishna has been shown as someone who believes in caste system. then what abt krishna and sudamas story?
So though a good attempt to showcase a humane perspective of suyodhana... It's purely fictional.
May 8, 2019
It was interesting reading from Duryodhan (Suyodhan)'s perspective. It is true that all characters in Mahabharat are grey, but in some parts of the book, it felt as if the author was trying very hard to highlight Duryodhan in a good way; constantly showing that Duryodhan was always first in helping and accepting people Pandavs rejected, became weird and too forced at times.
And, the parts uncomfortable for the Kauravs have been conveniently omitted. For example, Ashwathhama using the Brahmastra on the unborn Parikshit, it has no mentionin Ajaya.
Anyways, this is the author's take on Duryodhan...
And, the parts uncomfortable for the Kauravs have been conveniently omitted. For example, Ashwathhama using the Brahmastra on the unborn Parikshit, it has no mentionin Ajaya.
Anyways, this is the author's take on Duryodhan...
August 31, 2022
Book Review : *Ajaya - Duryodhana's Mahabharata* by "
*Anand Neelakantan*
As the title suggests this is the same story of Mahabharata, which all of us are familiar with in parts, but completely viewed from Suyodhana's (branded as Duryodhana by Pandavas)
Its a special edition of two books into one, running to 623 pages which took me 70+ days to complete.
The reading started initially with resistance to accept the gentle portrayal of good side of Duryodhana, from his childhood. He is portrayed as one who has acceptance to all human beings as one, poor & lower castes, value to respect elders & follow the 'dharma' including the rules of war laid out. However as the pages moved, and the unheard dialogues are listened, one could view that not all on the side of Pandavas was fair. Moreover, in the careful portrayal of Krishna as an avatar, yet who twists 'dharma' concept to convenience to win the war is handled well by author. Krishna is non-understandable, even in this version, but left to readers judgement.
For every mistake we are highlighted of Kauravas, there are many understated ones from Pandavas, including many kills in 'smart' ways ( still dharmic, in Pandavas version). At the end, one will leave confused on the elusive concept of Dharma - that's one thing certain.
Two characters, Ekalavya & Karna were brilliantly brought out. There is a fictitious character, Jara who is born of lower caste, singing the praises of Lord Krishna, and on Krishna's order, shoots & kills him, with final words, to sing the praise of ideal version of Krishna.
Nice read & gives a feeling that I have done justice by knowing both sides of story :)
*Anand Neelakantan*
As the title suggests this is the same story of Mahabharata, which all of us are familiar with in parts, but completely viewed from Suyodhana's (branded as Duryodhana by Pandavas)
Its a special edition of two books into one, running to 623 pages which took me 70+ days to complete.
The reading started initially with resistance to accept the gentle portrayal of good side of Duryodhana, from his childhood. He is portrayed as one who has acceptance to all human beings as one, poor & lower castes, value to respect elders & follow the 'dharma' including the rules of war laid out. However as the pages moved, and the unheard dialogues are listened, one could view that not all on the side of Pandavas was fair. Moreover, in the careful portrayal of Krishna as an avatar, yet who twists 'dharma' concept to convenience to win the war is handled well by author. Krishna is non-understandable, even in this version, but left to readers judgement.
For every mistake we are highlighted of Kauravas, there are many understated ones from Pandavas, including many kills in 'smart' ways ( still dharmic, in Pandavas version). At the end, one will leave confused on the elusive concept of Dharma - that's one thing certain.
Two characters, Ekalavya & Karna were brilliantly brought out. There is a fictitious character, Jara who is born of lower caste, singing the praises of Lord Krishna, and on Krishna's order, shoots & kills him, with final words, to sing the praise of ideal version of Krishna.
Nice read & gives a feeling that I have done justice by knowing both sides of story :)
Read
January 29, 2019Kk
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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